China plays down death toll of mystery virus despite widespread pandemic fears

DAILY EXPRESS US

The world is holding its breath as unconfirmed reports suggest a mystery disease is ravaging China leading to overwhelmed hospitals and crematoriums – but the nation is trying to downplay fears.

China has long been identified as the source of the Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2) virus which went on to spark a global pandemic after the first human patients were discovered in the city of Wuhan in November 2019.

Around the world over seven million people died from Covid and in the UK the latest estimates are 208,000 people lost their lives to the disease.

Now unconfirmed local media reports from China are suggesting a new bug, thought to be connected to the human metapneumovirus (HMPV), is now causing severe and even deadly results.

Usually HMPV is similar to a mild cold, but lines of sick children and adults are now overwhelming the country’s healthcare system and deaths have been reported.